A fun Xbox Live Arcade game

by Sean Evans

Fun factor: Fun

Worth to: Buy/Rent

You may not be playing it for months to come and it gets slightly repetitive after extended play, but it’s simply a fun game brimming with personality.

For many, it hasn’t taken long for the genre of twin-stick shooters on XBLA to somewhat overstay its welcome. The unique control scheme was perfectly suited to Geometry Wars back in 2005, but since then the concept has been rinsed and repeated so much that the entire formula is starting to become stale. So why would Codeglue’s Rocket Riot be any different?

Because it is different

While it doesn’t veer too wildly from the traditional formula that we’re all now so well accustomed to, Rocket Riot still isn’t entirely typical of a twin-stick shooter. Rockets shoot out at a trajectory that’s dictated by the direction you pullback on the right thumbstick, meaning that a fairly considered sense of aim is required to get the better of your opponents.



If that sounds complicated in any way, don’t worry because it’s not. Being precise with your shots means that you can take out someone from a distance; and merely tapping the right thumbstick back will result in your rocket drooping to the ground. The former is the ideal way to play but the latter has its uses too, mainly for trying to land a shot on an enemy hovering below you. There are also power-ups floating around Rocket Riot‘s blocky stratosphere, although I didn’t find them to alter the flow of action too heavily, notwithstanding the power-downs that have a negative effect on the user.

Both methods are satisfying when employed correctly and whilst becoming a proficient Rocketeer isn’t something exclusive to the hardened players out there, someone who positions their shots correctly will always have the advantage over those who prefer to “button-mash” or whatever the equivalent is here.

Who needs brains when you got numbers?

Naturally, the single-player bots aren’t as cunning as online opponents, but when they swarm in numbers you have to be prepared to dodge incoming rockets and return fire without being backed into a corner. That may not sound anything new for a twin-stick shooter -- Geometry Wars is predicated on constant pressure. But when playing against real-life players, the tension gets notched up a level and the game really starts to come into its own.

Above all else, the most striking thing about Rocket Riot that lends it a unique selling point is its visual fidelity. All of this fast-paced action takes place on a stylized 2D-meets-3D horizontal plain, fit with destructible obstacles and themed backgrounds, similar to Worms.



Some cool implementations of physical properties come into play when the environment gets blown up, which is a neat touch. But on the whole, Rocket Riot‘s colorful, pixelated art style is a very refreshing take on the deluge of modern day titles that work over-time to impress you with realistic shadows and lighting effects.

As a result, its huge array of collectable Matryoshka doll look-a-likes and bright, decorative levels hearken back to an era where personality was key, relative to something like Smash TV back in the day. And much like Smash TV, the barebones “plot” that junctions each new batch of levels is amusing in a weird way, but that’s about it. The robotized “Rocket Riot! Rocket Riot!” chant that plays after each victory will also get stuck in your head, whether you like it or not.

Summary

You may not be playing Rocket Riot for months to come and it does get slightly repetitive after extended play, but when it comes down to it, it’s simply a fun game brimming with personality. Plus for a decent price of 800 MS Points, you could do a lot worse on the Live Marketplace right now.